On Stage Swap 4 – Artistically Asian

Wow! On Stage went by so fast and I still have posts to do on the swaps I shared. This swap, using the Artistically Asian stamp set evolved while I was playing with Glossy paper. Glossy paper is like photo paper. Super smooth and shiny.

I started by adding layers of color with the Light and Dark Blends in Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, and Daffodil Delight. I went over the layers a couple of times and tried to make the transitions blend a little, but the ink dried very quickly.

I really like the color saturation at this stage, but I needed something to make the layers ‘work’. So, I broke out the Brusho Crystal Colours in Brilliant Red, Gamboge, and Yellow.

I played with the crystals, adding more water, moving the color around with an Aqua Painter, until I was happy with the overall effect.

This had to dry, and then I had to brush off the extra crystals. If you are a very tidy crafter, this might not be a product you enjoy. I love mixed media effects and the beautiful imperfection of the results. So I was really happy at this point!

To finish the card I decided to use the Artistically Asian stamp set. Thank goodness my Stamparatus, that I had preordered, arrived while I was creating this swap. Stamping on glossy paper is not for the unsteady hand. I ended up trashing three of these backgrounds.

Finally, I mounted the backgrounds on Tangerine Tango and Basic Black. The sentiment is from the Artistically Asian stamp set also. I did put a retired black rhinestone as a touch of bling. I couldn’t resist.